About the International Diabetes Federation
The International Diabetes Federation (IDF) is the global advocate for
the 250 million people with diabetes worldwide as well as their
families and healthcare providers. It is an umbrella organization
representing over 200 diabetes associations in more than 160 countries.
IDF is a non-governmental organization in official relations with the
World Health Organization and associated with the Department of Public
Information of the United Nations (UN).
The mission of IDF is “to promote diabetes care, prevention and a cure worldwide”, a statement of intent that addresses the challenges facing the global diabetes community in the 21st century.
IDF activities include advocacy and lobbying, education for people with diabetes and their healthcare providers, public awareness and health improvement campaigns, as well as the promotion and exchange of information. Examples of activities and achievements include:
- World Diabetes Day - the primary awareness campaign of the diabetes world. Celebrated every year worldwide on 14 November. As of 2007, World Diabetes Day is a United Nations day (www.worlddiabetesday.org).
- UN Resolution 61/225: World Diabetes Day - passed on 20 December 2006 by the UN General Assembly as a result of the successful IDF-led ‘Unite for Diabetes’ campaign. The resolution designates World Diabetes Day as an official UN-observed day and recognizes diabetes as a chronic, life-threatening and costly disease.
- IDF Consultative Sections and Task Forces - IDF Consultative Sections and Task Forces act as advisory committees on specific diabetes-related issues such as the development of clinical care guidelines, the production of consensus statements, and the study of diabetes healthcare economics. They also address particular areas of concern such as access to insulin, the diabetic foot, childhood diabetes, and education. Groups such as the Consultative Section on the Diabetic Foot provide the global expertise that is fundamental to the achievement of the Federation’s objectives.
- IDF serial and non-serial publications – including Diabetes Voice, the quarterly magazine of IDF, covers the latest developments in diabetes care, education, prevention, research, health policy and economics, as well as themes related to living with diabetes; and the Diabetes Atlas, a unique resource on diabetes which provides global estimates of diabetes prevalence, IGT, health expenditure, and many additional areas. IDF publications can be obtained from the IDF online shop (http://shop.idf.org).
- World Diabetes Congress - a unique and international forum to discuss a wide variety of diabetes-related topics. The 19th World Diabetes Congress was held in Cape Town (South Africa) in December 2006 with over 12,000 participants. The next World Diabetes Congress will take place in Montreal (Canada) in October 2009 (www.idf2009.org).
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